


to somehow escape the burning weight

by moonmagicked



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Because Loki is Alive, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-06-22 10:02:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15579477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonmagicked/pseuds/moonmagicked
Summary: "And Thor screamed because he saw it happening, saw the way Thanos’s face subtely darkened and the muscles in his arm twitched as his fist tightened around Loki’s neck, ready to snap the life out of him once and for all.Suddenly a blindingly bright light erupted around him."Heimdall uses the last of this power to send Thor and Loki to safety instead of the Hulk.





	to somehow escape the burning weight

**Author's Note:**

> I have three wips I should be working on but instead I keep writing short, angsty, plotless IW fix-it's where Loki lives (instead of my longer semi fix-it where he lives oops)
> 
> But really tho, why wouldn't Heimdall use the last of his magic to save his king and/or prince instead of the Hulk?? Nah bro.

Thor knew what was about to happen the moment Loki looked at him and the name _Odinson_ passed from his lips.

He tried to scream past the metal covering his lips, tried to shout _no,_ tried to shout _stop_ , but only muffled sounds of anguish escaped.

He kept mutely screaming as Thanos lifted his brother up by the neck in his monstrous, gloved hand. He kept screaming as Loki thrashed violently in his grip, body contorting and writhing in agony. He kept screaming as Loki’s face turned an awful shade of purple, as his eyes bulged and reddened and streaks of blood ran down his face. He kept screaming as he was forced to watch Thanos crush the life out of his brother right in front of him, as he was bound and restrained and gagged and helpless to stop his brother from dying right in front of him for the third time.

Over the sound of his own muffled screams and the pounding of his own blood in his ears Thor heard Loki’s broken, gasping voice choke out, “You…. will never… be a God…”

And Thor _screamed_ because he saw it happening, saw the way Thanos’s face subtly darkened and the muscles in his arm twitched as his fist tightened around Loki’s neck, ready to snap the life out of him once and for all.

Suddenly a blindingly bright light erupted around him. Everything was awash with vivid, colorful brightness, and Thor couldn’t see anything past it. It surrounded him, swallowing him whole, and then he felt himself moving through time and space, weightless and heavy all at once.

_Heimdall,_ he thought, because it could be no one else. Heimdall had used the last of his power to save him, and Thor knew that Heimdall would be killed for it. He had sacrificed himself for Thor.

_Thank you, my friend,_ Thor thought, moments before he thought, _Loki._

He had no time to think of anything else before he was falling, body tumbling from space and crashing to the ground. He barely felt the impact as he landed, body and mind already bruised and battered enough as it was. He rolled over and tried to move the moment the roaring of Heimdall’s magic dissipated, but found he couldn’t. The metal restraints holding him down were still there, as was the muzzle over his mouth.

Thor glanced around frantically, trying to take in his surroundings. Something about where he was seemed familiar, but his thoughts were too panicked and fractured to really make sense of it. There was a staircase there, shattered and broken though it was, and there curled up on the floor…

_Loki._

Heimdall, blessed Heimdall, had managed to try and not only to save Thor’s life but Loki’s as well. Thor could have sobbed from relief. He might even have. His face felt wet, but he didn’t know if it was from tears of anguish and pain or from blood or something else.

And Loki was not only there but he was _alive_. Curled up on the ground with his hands grasping at his blackened and swollen throat, yes, awful and rattling sounds coming from his chest with every breath, yes, but _alive_.

But Thor still could not reach him. He struggled against the restraints holding him down, but they held fast, and he screamed behind the muzzle again, this time out of frustration, because his brother was _right there_ , out of the reach of Thanos, but still yet out of Thor’s reach as well.

“Hold still,” a voice said. Thor whipped his head around. He had been so focused on Loki he had not even realized there was another person in the room. It took Thor a moment as he stared at the stranger, took in the familiar dark hair and human appearance and red coat, before he recognized him.

The Midgardian sorcerer, Strange. He was on Midgard then. Heimdall truly was a saint.

Thor gave as much of a nod as he was able to before holding still, though his body still twitched slightly with trembles he couldn’t restrain. Strange’s hands glowed with a fiery light and he held them up to Thor’s restraints. A moment later, they fell away, and Thor took in a deep, gasping breath through his freed mouth.

“Thank you,” he said, and then he was on his feet, half running, half falling to where Loki lay.

“Loki,” Thor said, falling to his knees beside him. “Loki, brother, I’m here.”

He went to cradle Loki’s head, but his hands neared his brother’s— _bruised, bloated, broken —_neck and Loki, Loki _flinched_ , and Thor’s hands stilled mid-movement. Something in his chest felt like it broke.

“Brother,” Thor said, but it came out as a broken whisper.

Loki looked at him, eyes glazed, and then he blinked and his expression cleared.

“Thor,” he rasped, and the word was painful just to hear, but Thor smiled a painful smile nonetheless.

“Yes, yes, brother, I’m here,” Thor said. Then, because he couldn’t stop himself, “You were a fool, going after Thanos alone like that, what were you _thinking_?”

A strained, gasping laugh made its way past Loki’s lips and he said, “Yes, I am a fool, brother.”

The words were so similar to ones that he had spoken before, dying in Thor’s arms in the plains of Svartalfheim, and if Thor hadn’t been crying before he certainly was now.

“But you’re alive, that’s what matters,” he said, tears dripping from his one eye and falling onto Loki’s body below. Thor grasped Loki’s hand in his, and Loki weakly squeezed it back.

“I hate to break up this family reunion,” Strange said from behind Thor, in a tone that said he really _didn’t_ hate to, “But I would really like to ask exactly what is going on.”

Every part of Thor resisted turning away from his brother, but he knew Strange was right. Heimdall, blessed Heimdall, had sent Thor to this location for a purpose, and he had a duty to others.

Thor gripped Loki’s hand harder to ground himself as he said, “Thanos is coming.”

**Author's Note:**

> That's all for now, folks!
> 
> Thanks for reading. :)


End file.
